VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University’s Odum Library and James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services will host Read Fest 2017, 9-11 a.m. Friday, April 14.

Michael Holt, an associate professor and reference librarian in the Odum Library, said 288 prekindergarten students from the Valdosta City School System and Lowndes County School System are scheduled to attend the 11th annual event. 

The children will spend the morning participating in a variety of activities, including games, crafts, read-along stories, coloring and singing, according to a press release from VSU. 

They will be offered ice cream from V State Dining and take home a goody bag with a new book provided by the Dewar College of Education and Human Services.

Read Fest is just one of VSU’s many community outreach literacy initiatives, all of which are designed to help children build literacy skills, gain confidence and be more motivated to want to read for both pleasure and study, according to the press release. 

It is supported by donations from Chick-fil-A at North Valdosta, Aramark, Follett, Bruster’s and VSU’s Dewar College of Education and Human Services.

Read Fest is part of the university’s celebration of National Library Week, April 9-15. The 2017 theme is “Libraries Transform.”

Read Fest activities will be held on the first floor of the Odum Library.